Gas-valve.



G. M. S. TAIT.

GAS VAL E.

APPLICATION FILED APRHIB, 1910.

998,93 1 Patented July 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTOR/VEV COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH cm. WASHINGTON. n. c.

G. M. S. TAIT.

GAS VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16,1910.

Patented July 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNE88E8: I

v I ATTQRNEV Cmflllllk Wm 60., WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PANT FFIQE.

GODFREY M. S. TAIT, OF MONTCLAIR, NEVT JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TAI'IPRODUCER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GAS-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1911.

Application filed April 16, 1910. Serial No. 555,969.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GODFREY M. S. TAIT, of Montclair, Essex county,State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Gas-Valves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a valve for con trolling the movement of gasfrom a gas producer to the engine or from the producer to the purge pipeto the atmosphere. In gas producer plants it is common to employamechanism of this sort by which the connection between the producer andthe point of gas consumption may be closed when the plant is shut downand the interior of the producer opened into the atmosphere to permitfree escape of such gases as might remain therein.

The object of my present invention is effectually to seal the variousconnections with the water which is primarily relied upon.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallywashing out any dirt or other solid matter which may accumulate in thevalves, such washing or cleansing of the valves to take place each timethat they are operated.

Still a further object of the invention is eifectually to seal the wholeapparatus and avoid the use of any joint or moving connections passingthrough the walls of the device which are not protected by the waterseal.

My invention involves various other features of importance, all of whichwill be fully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawings which represent, as anexample, the preferred embodiment of my invention.

In these drawingsFigure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus showingthe interior parts by broken lines; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the samealso showing the interior parts by broken lines; and Fig. 3 is across-sectional elevation on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrow applied to said line.

The apparatus comprises a casing or housing 10, which is opentransversely at its bottom as indicated at 11, and is situated in a pitor pan 12 wherein a body of water is maintained approximately at levelindicated in Fig. l.

14 indicates a connection in the top of the housing 10, to which, thegas supply pipe leads from the producer.

15 indicates a connection also in the top of the housing with whichcommunicates the pipe leading to the engine or other point of gasconsumption. Usually, though certainly not necessarily, the partscommuni cating with the connections 14 and 15 include scrubber towersthrough which water flows into said connections. The connection 15 hasdepending from it a skirt 16 reaching down in the housing 10 to a pointsomewhat above the water line therein.

17 indicates a fragment of the purge pipe which extends into theatmosphere and is fastened onto a connection 18 at the side of thehousing in transverse line with the connection 14, but below the same.As shown best in Fig. 3, an elbow 19 communicates with said connection18 and forms a continuation of the pipe 17. This elbow is within thehousing and extends horizontally and thence bends downward at a pointunder a vertical position of the connection 14. The lower end of thisvertical limb of the elbow 19 is flared or enlarged to form a bell 20.

The essential function of the mechanism is alternately to open and closethe connection 15 and the connection 18, so that the producer is eitherin communication with the engine through the connections 14 and 15 or isclosed to the engine and in communication with the connection 18 leadingto the purge pipe 17. This latter adjustment, resorted to when the plantis shut down, allows the gase ous contents of the producer to be blownofi into the atmosphere. In attaining this result I employ valves 21which are in the form of cups with conical bottoms projecting upwardinto the cups. Said cups are adapted, when active, to inclose the lowerends of the skirt 16 and elbow 19 with their conical bottoms snuglyengaged with the beveled lower edges of said parts 16 and 19. Whenactive, the cups are upright and are filled with water either gatheredfrom the supply in the pit 12 or from the water which is flowing downthe connections 14 and 15 from the scrubber towers. The importance ofthis structure and arrangement should here be pointed out, namely, if byany mischance the water supply to the cup valves 21 should fail and thewater therein evaporate, a seal would still be maintained, owing to thearrangement of the conical bottoms of the cup valves with the bevelededges of the parts 16 and 19. This forms a closure equal to thateffected by a ground-in valve of the puppet or other type. Of course, itis primarily intended to water seal the valves and the structurereferred to is a precautionary measure.

22 indicates a rocker arm which is disposed vertically and is mountedloosely on a stud 23, projecting from the outer side wall of the housing10, preferably at the side opposite the connection 18. The side wall ofthe housing is unbroken at this, as well as at other points, and thestud 23 merely projects from this wall without penetrating it. The studmay be bolted on or cast integral with the housing, as preferred. Theupper end of the rocker arm 22 carries a weight 24: and the lower endextends to the transverse open ing 11 in the side of the housing andthere carries transversely a pin 25 which extends inward through saidopening into the lower portion of the housing. At its inner end said pin25 is engaged with a link 26 and this extends back to the pivot positionof the arm 22 where it is fastened to a rock shaft 27, said shaft hasits ends dropped into bearings 28 on the inner surfaces of the walls ofthe housing 10, the shaft extending horizontally across the interior ofthe housing from side to side. Fastened to the shaft 27 are two walkingbeams 29, the ends of which extend respectively to the verticalpositions of the connections 14 and 15 and loosely mount trunnions 30formed on the sides of the cup valves 21. As shown in Fig. 1, the endsof said walking beams 29 are slotted longitudinally to accommodate thetrunnions, and the trunnions are guided in straight line vertical motionby ribs 81 or equivalent means on the side walls of the housing withwhich ribs the trunnions 3O slidably engage. It will therefore be seenthat upon throwing over the arm 22 from one side to the other of itscenter motion the shaft 27 will be rocked through the parts 25 and 26and the walking beams 29 will reverse their position. This elevates oneof the cup valves and depresses the other, the walls of the slots in thewalking beams sliding on the trunnions 30 and said trunnions beingconstrained to vertical rectilinear motion by the guides 31. Thisinsures proper engagement between the valves and the skirt 16 or elbow19 as the case may be. For the purpose of dumping the cup valves as theydrop, I provide within the housing 2 detents 32. These are attached tothe inner end walls at the power portions and are so positioned that asthe valves descend their conical bottoms engage the detents 32 at pointsat one side of the trunnions 30 and the continued downward motion of thecup valves thus engaged with the detents causes the valves to turn overas they enter the water. This dumps from the cup valves any solid matterwhich may have accumulated therein and subjects them to the washingaction of the water so that as the valves are again raised they risefrom the water cleansed. The valves also gather water from the watersupply in rising to the extent that they engage their respectivecoacting parts 16 and 19. They form a perfect seal therewith not only byreason of the me chanical contact herebefore referred to but by reasonof the presence of the water in the valves.

In the use of the apparatus therefore it is connected in the plant inthe manner clescribed and during normal operation the parts stand asindicated in Fig. 1. In this position the connection 15 is opened andthe elbow 19 to the purge pipe is closed. .Gas then flows freely fromthe producer to the engine or other point of gas consumption and thepurge pipe is hermetically sealed. The water flowing down from thescrubber towers will keep the cup Valve flooded, but should this watersupply for any reason fail and the water evaporate from the cup a sealwill still be effected. In this connection it should be observed thatthe weight 24 on the arm 22 exerts a pressure on the arm which iscommunicated to the cup valve and holds it firmly against the elbow.When the plant is shut down, it is only necessary to throw over the arm22 which reverses the situation within the housing closing theconnection 15 and opening the elbow 19 so that the gaseous contents ofthe producer may pass off freely without danger of escaping in thebuilding.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A valve device for gas producer plants comprising a housing open atthe bottom and constructed to have its lower portion submerged, saidhousing having connections with the gas producer, gas purge and gasconsumer, pipe sect-ions communicating with the gas purge and gasconsumer and opening into the housing, cup valves with conical bottomsadapted to inclose the ends of said pipe sections and engage theirconical bottoms therewith, a rocking arm mounted outside of the housing,a rock shaft mounted inside of the housing, a connect-ion between thearm and said shaft extending through the opening at the bottom of thehousing, a walking beam on the rock shaft within the housing on the endsof which beam the cup valves are swung and detents for tilting the cupvalves located in the lower part of the housing and engaged by thevalves as they descend.

2. A valve device for gas producer plants comprising a housing open atthe bottom and constructed to have its lower portion submerged, saidhousing having connections with the gas producer, gas purge and gasconsumer, pipe sections communicating with the gas purge and gasconsumer and opening into the housing, cup valves with conical bottomsadapted to inclose the ends of said pipe sect-ions and engage theirconical bottoms therewith, a rocking arm mounted outside of the housing,a rock shaft mounted inside of the housing, a connection between the armand said shaft extending through the opening at the bottom of thehousing, a walking beam on the rock shaft within the housing on the endsof which beam the cup valves are swung and detents for tilting the cupvalves located in the lower part of the housing and engaged by thevalves as they descend, the gas producer and gas consumer connectionslocated at the top of the housing and the gas purge connection locatedat the side and the pipe section of the purge connection being elbowshaped and extending inward and downward from said connection.

3. A gas valve device comprising a cupvalve with a tapering bottom and acoacting member having a seat surface inclosed by the cup and engaged bysaid tapering bottom.

4. A gas valve device comprising a cupvalve with a conical bottom and acoacting member having an annular seat surface inclosed by the cup andengaged by said conical bottom.

5. A gas valve device comprising a cupvalve with a conical bottom and acoacting pipe, the lower end of which is adapted to be inclosed by thecup and to receive and engage the conical bottom.

6. A valve device for gas producer plants comprising an inlet, anoutlet, a liquid container, a housing constructed to be submerged at itslower portion in said container and having an opening in said submergedportion, a valve in the housing and operating means extending from theoutside of the housing to the valve, said operating means passingthrough the submerged openm 7. A valve device for gas producer plantscomprising an inlet, an outlet, a housing constructed to be submerged atits lower portion and having an opening in said submerged portion, avalve in the housing, an arm mounted to swing outside of the housing, arock shaft within the housing, and means connecting the arm with therock shaft including a part extending through the opening in thesubmerged part of the housing.

8. A valve device for gas producer plants comprising an inlet pipe, anoutlet pipe, a housing constructed to be submerged at its portion andhaving an opening in its submerged portion, a swinging arm mountedoutside of the housing and having its lower end adjacent to the saidopening, a pin projecting from such end through the opening in thehousing, a rock shaft mounted in the housing, an arm within the housingconnecting the pin with the rock shaft and valve devices in the housingand connected with the rock shaft to be actuated thereby.

9. The combination of a valve, means for guiding the valve during avariation of the position of the valve, a pivot movable with the valve,means for turning the valve on its pivot, and a seat member coactingwith the valve and toward and from which it moves.

10. The combination of a pivoted valve, means for moving said valvebodily to vary the position of the pivotal center, and means for turningthe valve on its pivot at one point in its movement. I

11. The combination of a pivoted valve means for guiding said valveduring a bodily movement thereof and means for turning the valve on itspivot at one point in its movement, said last mentioned means,

comprising a detent located in the path of the valve at one side of thepivot.

12. The combination of a valve having trunnions, guides in which thetrunnions move, an actuating means having pivotal connection with thetrunnions and means for turning the valve on its trunnions at a point inthe movement of the valve.

13. The combination of a valve having trunnions, guides in which thetrunnions move, an actuating means having pivotal connection with thetrunnions and means for turning the valve on its trunnions at a point inthe movement of the valve comprising a detent located in the path of thevalve at one side of its pivot.

14. The combination of a valve having trunnions, swinging arms havingslots loosely receiving the trunnions, guides also loosely receiving thetrunnions and means for turning the valve on its trunnions at a point inthe line of movement of the valve.

15. The combination of a valve having trunnions, swinging arms havingslots loosely receiving the trunnions, guides also loosely receiving thetrunnions and means for turning the valve on its trunnions at a point inthe line of movement of the valve, comprising a stationary detent in thepath of the valve at one side of its pivot.

16. A valve device for gas producer plants having a housing with gasproducer and gas consumer connections at the top and a gas purgeconnection at the side, a skirt in the housing depending from the gasconsumer 5 alternately opening and closing the Valves.

17. A valve device for gas producer plants comprising a housing, aconduct having a downwardly facing open end, a cup valve within saidhousing and adapted to receive 10 said open end, and means for loweringsaid cup valve away from said lower open end and tilting said cup valveto permit the drainage of sediment therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GODFREY M. S. TAIT. lVitnesses:

GEO. H. LANDFEAR, H. E. PORTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C."

